Find a Church  |  Vacancies  |  Documents  |  Directory  |  Safeguarding |  Contact 

Donate

Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals

A wedding coupleYour local church is here for you at important times in life. Please get in touch with us to see how we can help. For details of your parish church and how to make contact, please enter your postcode on A Church Near You. This will show you the name and contact details of your local church and indicate whether your church is within the Diocese of Manchester or a neighbouring diocese. Alternatively, email funerals@manchester.anglican.org and we can provide information for churches within the Diocese of Manchester.

Baptisms

If you're a parent considering a Christening, you don't have to have been christened yourself, and you don't need to be a regular churchgoer. 

There is a brilliant Christenings website run by the Church of England which tells you everything you might want to know, answering questions from 'How do we choose godparents?' and 'What is the service like?' to 'What presents do we buy?'.

One of the first things you will need to do is get in touch with your local church. It might seem daunting, but whether you speak to an administrator, a friendly parent, or the vicar, they will be glad to hear from you.

It's not only children who are baptised, with many people coming to faith as adults. If you are an adult considering baptism please speak to your local vicar.

Weddings

Getting married in church is meaningful, spiritual, personal, and beautiful - just as you would want it to be.

The Your Church Wedding website from the Church of England is full of information and ideas, and answers all the big questions about getting married in church. 

Once you know which church you would like to marry in, give the vicar a call to tell them your good news and to discuss when you would like to get married. Do it as soon as you can, so the vicar has time to advise you about the legal requirements for marrying at the church, and can discuss any competition for dates.

When you first make contact with a church, it will be the start of a special relationship, particularly with the vicar if you don't already know them. Their personal attention, advice and support will help you create the wedding of your dreams and offer you everything that being connected to a church can mean - not just for your wedding, but also well beyond the big day.

Funerals

The Church of England website has guidance and support to help you with questions you may have about planning a funeral.

Click here for prayers which might be helpful at this difficult time.

At a time of loss, the church is at your service. Whether or not you or the one who has died have attended a church, we are here to offer our care to you.

Your local vicar is able to give support and would officiate at the funeral, should you wish. We believe that it is important to take time to hear the story of your loved one's life. After the service, your vicar can offer a listening ear, not only in these early days but in future months as you come to terms with your bereavement.

We believe that everyone is uniquely special in God's eyes, and hope to reflect this in our service to you.

Funeral Planning

No matter how far away it may be, thinking about your own funeral service now and making your wishes known can be a comfort to you and your family in all sorts of ways. If you’re thinking about sorting out your own funeral service plan, Your Church Funeral Planning Tool offers guidance on how to do that and advises on how it can help your family when the time comes.

The Your Funeral Wishes Planner is a downloadable leaflet which enables individuals to record their requests. It is split into two sections: what will happen on the day, and what might happen later at a time when family and friends can gather. The leaflet provides spaces to note down ideas including the sort of music and readings you might like, and the venue where you’d like it to take place. 

Wherever it happens, a Church of England funeral can be designed to reflect your story, making it personal, unique, and meaningful. There are lots of choices that can be made, but remember they are not set in stone. You can revise your ideas as often as you wish.

Remember, your funeral wishes are needed before your will is read, so please don’t keep them with your will. Instead, keep them somewhere safe, and don’t forget to let your close family and friends know where to find them. More information is available at the Church of England Funerals Hub.

Powered by Church Edit